Loudoun County's Invasive Plant Removal Pilot To Take Root

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — As more residents become aware of invasive species and their harmful effects, Loudoun County is launching a pilot program to for removal.

The invasive specifies removal project is targeted to start in the fall after the Board of Supervisors approved $150,000 in pilot program funding. Up to six projects will be chosen and administered by the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District in collaboration with the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance.

Loudoun County landowners with invasive species on their property can submit an application by Oct. 17 for an invasive species removal program. Homeowners associations, private landowners, and commercial and industrial property owners are eligible. See the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District's website for the application and guidelines.

As the Board of Supervisors recognized the growing concern of invasive plants on native species and quality of life, the pilot program funding is the first step to creating a countywide invasive species removal program. The county government is working with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District and Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance to develop framework for a permanent program. According to the county, a permanent program is geared toward providing residents with resources to fight invasive species. Recommendations for a permanent program could come in early 2025.

Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance is the group of homeowners association that organized Scrape for the Grape, which involved removing invasive spotted lanternfly egg masses to protect grapes and other agricultural crops. The alliance also informs residents about invasive plant species causing concern in the county, including spotted lanternflies' preferred host Tree of Heaven.

Mike Littman, the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance president associated with the Ashburn Village homeowners association, told Patch some of the invasive species Loudoun County homeowners associations are struggling with are the Callery Pear/Bradford Pear, Tree of Heaven, English Ivy, Japanese Honeysuckle, Oriental Bittersweet, Japanese Barberry, and White Mulberry. Certain tree species like the Callery Pear/Bradford Pear were put in by developers decades ago. According to the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District, the Callery pear can expand around roads and may emit a foul smell in the early spring.

"The developers put in these kinds of trees...because they're pretty, they grow fast and they're cheap," said Littman.

But Littman called the Tree of Heaven Loudoun County's biggest concern now, as it attracts spotted lanternflies. Residents in Loudoun County and other parts of Northern Virginia have been noticing a growing presence of spotted lanternflies this season, and they pose a risk to Loudoun's wineries and other agricultural industries.

"It's horrible for the environment. It's horrible for the economy," said Littman.

The Loudoun County Invasive Alliance recently participated in a Virginia Home Grown feature by Virginia Public Media/PBS to highlight the negative impacts of invasive species. Littman and Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall gave context to the spotted lanternfly and invasive plant species threat and what can be done.